Marked hiking trails

Ethno Park Terzica Avlija and the Ethno Association Zavicaj have designed and marked 60km of circular trails, some of which can be used by cyclists as well. All trails start at the ethno park; there are four of them (differing in length and strenuousness), which interweave and intersect one another. The trails link the ethno park, the Potpece cave, the Petnica streamlet with fish-farms, waterfalls and old water-mills, the Gradina summit with its pyramid-shaped stone monument, a watershed with beautiful gazebos overlooking the River Rzav valley, the Mt Zlatibor summits (Tornik, Cigota), Mucanj, Golija, Ovcar, Kablar and Jelova Gora; the trails run on to the River Rzav with its beautiful beaches and small suspension bridges, the Roska spa and the calcite mine in Rupeljevo, where Zlakusa potters extract this mineral. Another marked section, running along the picturesque Derventa canyon, where the old Roman stone bridge is located, has been added to the above trails.

POTPECE CAVE

The potpec cave is situated in the Potpec village 14 m away from Uzice, in the northern valley of Dreznicka Gradina (931 m altitude). The entrance to the Potpec Cave is a monumental work of nature. The giant portal in the form of a horseshoe, 50 m high (from the bed of the flow to the confluence), 12 m wide at the bottom, and 22 m at the top, is the highest cave entrance in Serbia. It is carved into a lime cliff, whose vertical part is 72 m high. The explored and arranged length for visitors is 555 m. The falling path at the entrance has over 700 steps.

Geological content: According to J. Cvijic (1914.), the Potpec cave was built in the middle Triassic limestones, “which lie on the verfenic slates… Detailed geological research and entering on a map of this area were done by B. Markovic (in 1957. and 1968). The Triassic limestone, of which the cave was built, is whitish, with porosity as of cracks and fine mosaic structure.

Speleological characteristics: In the Potpec cave two main floors of the cave channels can be distinguished: the older one – the Upper cave and the younger one- the Lower cave. The entrance channel is common for the both horizons, since it originated by destruction of the mezzanine construction and their merging. The riches of the cave ornaments is regarded as very rare among karst caves… In the morph-speleological sense, twelve units should be observed in the Potpece cave.

Hydrological characteristics: According to the morph-hydrographic evolution, three groups of channels are distinguished in the Potpece cave: the fossil (the Upper cave), the active periodic flow (the longer part of the Lower Cave) and the constantly active (the newest subterranean flow).

Climatic characteristics: The average annual temperature of the air is 9.5 C

The potpece cave and the man: It is estimated that the cave used to be man ‘s habitat even during the Neolith. Plenty of ceramics, deer horns and stone tools. In any case its inhabitants knew how to make the best of its favourable natural characteristics.

PETNICA STREAMLET

It originates from the spring in front of the Potpece cave. Between autumn and early summer, another spring is active, i.e. a current which flows out of the lower part of the cave where a lake is when the water level is high. Several fish-farms with California trout as well as three fish restaurants are located along the Petnica streamlet, up to the point where it flows into the River Djetinja. A couple of picturesque waterfalls and several old water-mills, some of which are still in use, can also be found along the Petnica.

GRADINA

The Gradina summit (931m) is the highest point in the village of Zlakusa. At its very top, there is a pyramid-shaped monument commemorating a World War II battle, made of a chunk of a stone originating from an old Roman fort. Gradina commands a magnificent, unbroken view. The summit is a must-do destination of all climbers visiting Zlakusa. Paragliders also take off from Gradina, because one of the two launch sites is located there. The other launch site is somewhat more to the East, on a slightly lower summit (Jocovo Hill), which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Zlakusa field.

RIVER RZAV

The Rzav is one of the cleanest rivers in Western Serbia. It is a popular picnic ground and a bathing-place of young people from Zlakusa and nearby villages in hot summer days, when the river beaches swarm with bathers. Moreover, the river abounds in fish. Two small suspension bridges, along which marked hiking trails run, span the Rzav, while the Roska spa is situated close by.

ROSKA SPA

At this point, after a fire, the Roska spa is in a rather rural state. There are no organised stays as before, but the persons visiting the spa still use its healing water. It is a cold-water spa. Among other diseases, it is good for rheumatism and nerves.

WILLAGE RUPELEVO

Some parts of Rupelevo village look as if they were suspended in time, with their late-19th-century households and houses. The famous mine for the extraction of a type of calcite, used by Zlakusa potters as a raw material which keeps together clay, is located in the village. The mineral looks unusual because it sparkles and, consequently, is an interesting souvenir from the mine for climbers and tourists.

DERVENTA CANYON

The Derventa is yet another streamlet near Zlakusa, spanned by one of the marked hiking trails. The trail starts at the bridge in Potocanje village, close to the point where the streamlet flows into the Djetinja, running first along its left and then along its right bank, and then again upstream along its left bank, up to the locality of Blizanci where it crosses over to the opposite bank via the Roman stone bridge. There is a bathing-place with a barbecue area at this spot. The trail then starts its climb first towards Kosuta and then towards Gradina, only to merge with the previously marked trails running from the ethno park in the hamlet of Zaboj.

MARKED PEDESTRIAN HIKING TRACKS

TECHNICAL REVIEW OF MOVEMENT

TRACK NO. 1 – “DUSAN THE GREAT“

The route starts in Ethno Park “Terzica Avlija”, with an asphalt road towards the NW, to the intersection of roads at electical transformer and turns to the south, along the slope, next to the Suvnjevaricas’ Spring to the Karadžinas’ Rock 520 m above sea level, where it joins the worse, macadam road, and pedestrian path through the woods to the start of an asphalt road leading to the Potpećka Cave which is the first control point on the track.

From Potpećka cave trail heads west to the asphalt road leaving the village POTPEĆ, then on poor macadam road up the slope towards the village Zaboj, than goes on partially visible trail that passes trough meadows and on the edge of the wood and continues on poor macadam road where after 150 m changes direction on a narrow pedestrian lane to the village Zaboj, ie. to the intersection of bad macadam roads that are restricted by fences of spreaded stone. Furthermore, the course moves to the top of the slope of Gradina Peak 931 m above sea level where the top passes over rocky land and through the middle row of old forest Cerovo reaches the top, which is the second control point. From top Citadels 50 m on south, trail is marked to the small viewpoint overlooking the village Drežnik, the peaks of Zlatibor (Tornik Čigota) and picturesque valley of the Rzav river.

From the top of Fradina, the footpath continues through rocky narrow alleys and stone detail towards the east, it leads to the telecommunications pole at the edge of a pine forest and becomes worse macadam road that descends to the hamlet Markovic, and then, on plain road leads through the hamlet Brđani through slope Panđurište, down the slope towards the SE, through the hamlet of Kabanice and round, down into Roska Banja is the third control point in the direction of movement.

From Roska Banja trail continues through the worse macadam road in the south to the suspension bridge in the hamlet Vajovići, crossing a river Rzav on its right bank, and after 500 m again, crossing over a suspension bridge to the left bank of the namesake river, which broke out after 50 yards in the district small beach – the beach at the said river. Continuing on the worse macadam road leads to a larger bridge on the river Rzav, asphalt road continues up the slope, toward the north, next to the cemetery, the path leads to cooperative home and school in the village Roge. Further track moving on asphalt road to the junction with the Roska ploca, where changes direction towards the hamlet Vulovići, and from there, the slope of the intersection of a footpath, go to the lookout Jocovo hill (715 m above sea level) offering a magnificent view of the Djetinja river valley, the direction from Sevojno to Pozega, peaks Golia, Mučanj, Ovcar, Kablara and others. On the Jocovo hill (Balčovina) is runway of paragliding club “Zlakusa hawk.” Trail then moves along the edge of a pine forest, across the clearing to the intersection with poorer macadam road by 30 m from the spring of lower abundance – Beech water and along footpath, on the edge of the meadow and through beech forest to the spring of greater abundance, called The Old Water. From the spring, the path leads to a narrow footpath that is actually exacerbated by erosion due to precipitation, to the edge of the forest, then passes through the orchard (plums požegača) and arrives at a country road, where it moves down the slope toward the cemetery in the hamlet Vranjača, where it joins the asphalt road to the junction, the direction changes in the west, where the asphalt road over Mlađovine coming to a crossroads in the village center and from there to Zlakusa Terzica Avlija, where is the end of track.

TRACK NO. 2 – “UŽICES’ PARTISAN SQUAD”

Trail starts from Ethno Park “Terzica Avlija”, on an asphalt road, up on the slope in the direction of SE, next to the old cemetery and the old house of Terzic family, where it joins the inferior macadam track and continues to the crossroads where the path joins the track of Dusan the Great, and goes on poor quality road through to the south and west, to get to the Sunjevarics’ spring which is the first control point in the direction of movement.

Trail then leads on north, on asphalt road to the junction, and than up the slope, zig-zag through poor macadam road and comes to an intersection where you can go to Karadžinas’ Rocks, among which is a nice viewpoint to Potpeće and Zlakusa and then branches off to the hamlet Tesici and on the edge of the hamlet turns into forest road where a small spring turn is marked in the bottom of the elongated meadow. Further trail leads up the slope to the edge of the bay, beech forest to the control point number 2 – Partisan bivouac which can be reached by turning from the main routes – 50 m to the left towards the North.

Trail then leads to poor macadam road to the Markovici hamlet, which changes direction to the west along the slope, poor quality road to the telecommunications pole at the edge of a pine forest, continuing on footpath through rocky and stone detail to the top Gradina where the third control point is.

From the top of Gradina track is moving towards the hamlet Zaboj, rocky trail through the woods of Turkey Oak to the west, where next to its’ right-hand side is the hallmark of tragic deth of fighter of Uzices’ partisan squad Olga Djurovic where she was killed in fight against German occupier.

After descending to the hamlet Zaboj, narrow footpath trail ends in the area of ​​meadows, through which the partially visible direction leads to the western exit, where is the lower arm of a road that comes down the slope towards the outskirts of the villag Potpece, and from there starts climb up through the asphalt road to the Potpećka cave which is the fourth control point in the direction of movement.

From Potpećka cave there are several varieties how to come to Terzica Avlija: asphalt road, next to Šunjevarica streams, gravel road next to a cemetery or poor quality road through to primary school in Zlakusa, and from there to the end point of the asphalt.

TRACK NO. 3 – “TRACK OF ZLAKUSA POTTERS”

Trail starts from Ethno Park “Terzica Avlija” in the direction of the main crossroads in the center of Zlakusa village, near the bridge, where it separates eastward on asphalt road to the junction that joins the track number 1 and continue along the gravel road to the hamlet Djokic and then up the slope, gravel road to the Milutinovic spring, which is the first control point in the direction of movement.

Trail then continues along the slope of the ordinary road to the hamlet Milutinovic and it goes in the hamlet of Drndari, and trough it goes an asphalt road Here it has two directions of movement – one that reaches a Male Vrstine and the other to the Velike Vrstine, ie. Zlakusa where potters dig ore calcite, which is a bonding material for clay that is made in Zlakusa, earthen pots and other ecological utensils.

Route changes its direction on poorer gravel road by passing Vrtace and changing the direction on the intersection in SW, to the intersection with gravel road by 30 m from the spring of poor water yield called Beechs’ water along the trail through the meadow comes to the worse gravel road to the Borovnjak, down the slope comes to the old house of Terzic family, running into an asphalt road and next to the old cemetery down in Terzica Avliju.

TRACK NO. 4 – “THE TRACK OF HELTH”

It is a circular path that leads to the Potpećka cave consisting of the previous track. The user is given the option to choose the directions of arrival and departure to Potpećka cave, of course, using the map (eg Terzica Avlija – school in Zlakusa, road at the foot of the Karadzas’ Rock (Potpeće East), Potpećka cave and back via Karadžas’ rocks where the namesake viewpoint, to the Terzica Avlija in any direction).